Water scarcity is a growing challenge, but across India, communities are finding smart ways to conserve every drop. This map takes you through some of the most inspiring efforts—from ancient step wells to modern rainwater harvesting—that are making a real difference in tackling drought and ensuring a sustainable future.
Last year was the driest year for global rivers in 33 years, warns a new report coordinated by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). According to the State of Global Water Resources report, the past five years have seen below-normal conditions for river flows and reservoir inflows worldwide, increasing stress on global water supplies.
The annual report paints the big picture of the world’s water cycle, from extreme floods to extreme droughts, from rivers and reservoirs to glaciers and groundwater.
Climate change is one of the most pressing threats to sustainable development across the globe. The Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2014) notes that 93% of the impacts associated with climate change will be felt in the water sector. Climate change is already altering precipitation patterns and snowmelt, impacting the frequency and magnitude of floods and droughts, and contributing to more extreme weather events and wildfires globally. Availability of renewable surface and groundwater resources is likely to decrease significantly…
Climate change is one of the most pressing threats to sustainable development across the globe. The Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC, 2014) notes that 93% of the impacts associated with climate change will be felt in the water sector. Climate change is already altering precipitation patterns and snowmelt, impacting the frequency and magnitude of floods and droughts, and contributing to more extreme weather events and wildfires globally.
Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced a new ministerial portfolio in August: Marine and Blue Economy.
Andrew J Constable, University of Tasmania and Jess Melbourne-Thomas, CSIRO While the Southern Ocean around Antarctica has been warming for decades, the annual extent of winter sea ice seemed relatively stable – compared to the Arctic. In some areas Antarctic sea ice was even increasing. That was until 2016, when
High Mountain Asia includes ranges that span the borders of Afghanistan, Bhutan, Nepal, India, China and Pakistan. The rate of glacier melting has doubled here in the last 20 years – except for glaciers in the Karakoram and Kunlun ranges where, since the 1990s, they have been stable or have
Zafar Adeel, Simon Fraser University When the Israeli government cut off supplies of water to the Gaza Strip following Hamas’s brutal attack, it put the role of water within human conflict into particularly sharp relief. Debate on the notion of “water wars” has raged among water experts for nearly four
Daniel Jaffee, Portland State University A massive intrusion of salt water into the Mississippi River has left the tap water in several Louisiana communities unsafe to drink and could threaten the New Orleans metropolitan area. The most visible emergency response is the provision of bottled water, with authorities distributing huge
Winding its way through the mountains and plains of northern India, the Ganges River is sacred to the Hindu religion. More prosaically, its water and nutrients are vital to the region’s farmland, hundreds of millions of residents and India’s economy. The Ganges is personified as Ganga, the Hindu goddess of
